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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Republicans rolled out their "Pledge" today, and not surprisingly, it's loaded with over the top teabagger rhetoric, and not so loaded with things like numbers, math, or anything that has even been in the same room with a hint of reality. Reading through the reactions, it appears unlikely to have much effect on the elections. It could be a first step to a Rep. Paul Ryan "privatize everything" style budget, but considering how fast the GOP ran away from that paper turd earlier this year, it's doubtful. Boehner says privatization as a way to pay for the $4 trillion cost of items "pledged" is "on the table". Good luck with that.

Worth noting though are the items not mentioned in the "pledge." Via David Corn:

You can read it yourself. Or peruse the reviews: liberal Ezra Klein dissects its internal contradictions; tea partier Erick Erickson decries the "Pledge" as a sell-out of the tea party movement; Republican curmudgeon David Frum finds it retro and short on "modern" and "affirmative" ideas for governing during a recessionary year. But here's a short-cut for you. Below is a list of words and phrases and the number of times they are each mentioned in the 45-page "Pledge."

If this is what passes as a "plan" for today's Republicans, they'd really better hope they make no electoral gains anytime soon. If someone (cough, Democrats!) were to actually hold them to this in policy discussions going forward, "in the woods" wouldn't begin to describe where voters would send them.